People who drink too much this New Year’s Eve will have to fend for themselves or seek a little help from friends to get safely home tonight.
According to Lt. William Bull of the Lewiston Police Department, officers will not be available to drive holiday drunks home.
“Frankly, we don’t have enough time,” Bull said. “Usually, we have an increase in the number of calls, anyway, because of New Year’s Eve, and the tempo increases as the night goes on.”
Bull said no extra officers will be on patrol, and there will be no change in patrol patterns to single out local bars. He encouraged holiday partiers to either ask a friend or call a taxi to drive them home.
Black & White Cabs and the Yellow Cab Co., both located at 1806 Main St., are open 24-hours a day, including tonight. According to owner Harold Grimes, the cost of taking a cab is approximately $1 a mile.
Local bars also are trying to minimize drunk driving. In a spot check by the Tribune, eight of 10 bars called will be serving free coffee tonight, and some said they will close their bars early to let drinkers sober up a little before moving on.
For non- or ex-drinkers, Alcoholics Anonymous will hold meetings from 10 a.m. this morning to 10 p.m. Saturday night. Since the Alano Club at 1435 Elm St. burned to the ground in early October, the group is meeting in a small house just behind the original club site.
This story was published in the Dec. 31, 1981, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.
